The invention relates to improvements in the methods of and in apparatus for making rods which contain a smokable material, and more particularly to improvements in methods of and in apparatus for making a continuous rod-like smokers' product (such as a cigarette rod) which contains a smokable material (such as comminuted tobacco ribs and/or tobacco leaf laminae) surrounding a flexible insert which may but need not always consist of and/or contain a smokable material.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,987,804 (granted Oct. 26, 1976 to Molins et al. for "MANUFACTURE OF CIGARETTES AND THE LIKE") discloses a cigarette rod wherein the rod-like filler contains an insert in the form of an empty tube or a tube containing a smokable material. The tube is intended to be concentric with a surrounding sleeve-like body of smokable material which is wrapped into cigarette paper or the like. The material of the insert and/or of its contents may but need not be different from that of the surrounding sleeve.
A drawback of the patented method and apparatus is that the position of the filler or insert relative to the surrounding mass of smokable material cannot always be selected and maintained with a desired degree of accuracy. This can affect the quality and/or the appearance of the ultimate product. Furthermore, the patented apparatus is rather complex and the cost of the product which can be turned out in the patented apparatus and/or in accordance with the patented method is relatively high.